LAYTON, Utah, Dec. 18, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — Police and emergency crews responded to the scene of a fatal auto-pedestrian crash Tuesday night on Hill Field Road.
The accident occurred near 1650 N. Hill Field Road at about 6:30 p.m. Officials partially blocked the area while the incident was under investigation.
“A 34-year-old male that was crossing the street, here by Fox Creek Apartments, was struck by a single vehicle,” Lt. James Petre, Layton Police Department, said at the scene. “He was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
The site is northeast of the Layton Hills Mall. The victim is believed to be a Layton resident. His name will not be released until his next of kin can be notified, Petre said.
Petre said the victim was wearing dark clothing with no reflective material, and he was crossing between intersections.
“There’s no ambient street lights in the general area where he was struck. At 6:30 at night, it’s a high volume of traffic at this time, coupled with the holiday.”
Petre said the driver of the SUV was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol and was cooperative with police. Speed also was not a factor.
“The speed limit on this section of the road is 40 mph, and the damage we are seeing on the vehicle and the injuries are indicative of him (the driver) being within the speed limit,” Petre said.
“The driver did stay on the scene, and he did cooperate with us, and is still cooperating.”
Petre said at 9 p.m. that police would be on scene investigating for another two or three hours.
Whoever it was got hit hard. It looked like the pedestrian was taken right out of their shoes & socks. It looked like shreds of clothing were strewn along 100 feet & the victim hit the road once at 50 feet or were hit a second time there & then the body came to rest about 40 feet further. There was a stream of blood pretty wide running towards the side of the road. The SUV that hit the pedestrian had the passenger headlight & front corner area of the quarter panel & grill deeply indented with the persons imprint into it. From where I could see it was an extremely hard hit evidenced by the lack of damage to the SUV’s front end elsewhere besides the deeply concave imprint of the pedestrian. The speed limit is 40mph there & the street has virtually no lighting in that stretch on the northbound lanes. I’m sure impact was in excess of posted speed & more than “a little” faster. The SUV stopped at least 50 feet beyond where the body came to rest.
This was bound to happen the distance between the lights is significant. For an apartment complex and a neighborhood directly across that leads to a shopping center. Many people run across here because you have to go way off course to cross safely. They need a crosswalk. Layton hasn’t really ever been pedestrian friendly though.
My deepest condolences and sympathy go out to the victims family. I see nothing but love shown for him on social media. Anytime you lose a loved one, it’s difficult. But so young and tragically. May he rest in peace.